Meaning of 弟弟
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- younger brother
Measure word: 個|个,位
How to use 弟弟
弟弟 is the everyday word for your younger brother, used both when talking about him and when calling him. It is often paired with a possessive like 我 (wǒ) without 的 in casual speech. Example: 我弟弟今年十岁。(Wǒ dìdi jīnnián shí suì.) My younger brother is ten this year.
弟弟 (dìdi) is just 弟 said twice, the way small children repeat sounds for family members, like 妈妈 (māma) and 哥哥 (gēge). Picture a little brother copying everything you do, so the character copies itself too.
Common mistake: Learners often say the second 弟 with a full fourth tone, but it is neutral: dìdi, not dìdì. Also do not mix up 弟 with 第 (dì), the ordinal prefix in 第一 (dì yī), which has a bamboo top 竹.
弟弟 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
弟 dì · younger brother · 7 strokes
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弟 dì · younger brother · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 弟弟.
| 兄弟 | xiōngdì | brothers; younger brother |
| 徒弟 | túdì | apprentice; disciple |
| 弟子 | dìzǐ | disciple; follower |
| 子弟 | zǐdì | child; the younger generation |
| 老弟 | lǎodì | (affectionate form of address for a male who is not very much younger than oneself) my boy |
| 小弟 | xiǎodì | little brother; I, your little brother (humble) |
| 小弟弟 | xiǎodìdi | little brother; little boy |
| 表弟 | biǎodì | younger male cousin through a female relative |
| 弟兄 | dìxiong | brothers; comrade |
| 兄弟姐妹 | xiōngdìjiěmèi | brothers and sisters; siblings |
| 兄弟会 | xiōngdìhuì | fraternity |
| 弟兄们 | dìxiōngmen | brothers; comrades |
Questions about 弟弟
What does 弟弟 mean?
弟弟 (dìdi) means "younger brother" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 弟弟?
弟弟 is made of 2 characters: 弟 (7 strokes), 弟 (7 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 弟弟 an HSK word?
Yes. 弟弟 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the Chinese word for older brother, and how do I say brothers in general?
Older brother is 哥哥 (gēge). For brothers as a group, use 兄弟 (xiōngdì), as in 我有两个兄弟 (Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè xiōngdì), I have two brothers.
Can 弟弟 be used for someone who is not my real brother?
Yes. People sometimes call a younger male friend or a young boy 弟弟 in a warm, informal way. Among male friends, 老弟 (lǎodì) or 小弟 (xiǎodì) are also used with a similar friendly feeling.